1821.] On Two late Attempts to ascend Mont Blanc. 33^" 



contain water of' crystallization. Are they in their crystalline 

 state chlorides or muriates ? I certainly in this case also incline ' 

 to the opinion that they are to be regarded as muriates. This 

 idea is much strengthened by the following passage frono 

 Dr. Thomson's paper, on the " True Weights of the Atoms of? 

 Barytes, Potash, &c." {Annals^ vol. xvi. p. 331), " When crys- 

 tallized muriate of barytes is exposed to a red heat in a platinum 

 crucible, it loses all its water of crystallization ; while at the same 

 time the hydrogen of the muriatic acid unites with the oxygen o^ 

 the barytes, and flies off in the state of water." 



Article V. 



Extract from *' An Account of Two late Attempts to ascend 

 Mont- Blanc y hy Dr. Hamel, Counsellor of State to his 

 Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias." 



Most of our readers are probably aware that during the last 

 summer an attempt was made by Dr. Hamel, in company with- 

 several other persons, to reach the summit of Mont Blanc : it i^ 

 equally well known that during the journey, the whole part;^ 

 was in the most imminent danger, and that some of the guided 

 actually lost their lives. It is presumed that the particulars €)i^ 

 this fatal expedition, taken from the Bibliotheque Universelle 

 published in August last, will be acceptable to the readers of the 

 Annals, 



The first of the two attempts of which an account is given 

 was undertaken on August 3, the anniversary of the ascent of 

 M. de Saussure. Dr. Hamel, in passing by the baths of St. Ger- 

 vais, heard that two persons of the country had reached th^ 

 summit of Mont Blanc, and descended the same day at Prarion, 

 whence they had set out. This report made Dr. Hamef 

 desirous of attempting this new route, which, according to 

 the account given of it, was less difficult, and dangerous, an^ 

 much shorter, than that by Chamouny, which, since Saussure'» 

 time, had always been followed. 



It appears that the same persons who had already ascended 

 by this route proposed again to undertake it, in order to remove 

 some doubts which had been entertained at Chamouny with 

 respect to the practicability of the journey. With these persons, 

 and the Curates of St. Gervais, and St. Nicolas de Verosse, the 

 attempt was made by Dr. Hamel. 



In order to insure success, it was proposed to effect the ascent 

 in two days, passing the night near la Pierre Ronde, the name 

 given to some rocks situated beneath L'Aiguille du Goute, andt 

 at half-past seven, the travellers halted to pass the night, sbel- 



N, S. VOL. I. c 



